Hello Everybody!

I picked up a 71 project that is almost finished. The P.O. bought an electric start for it but hasn't installed it yet. All the parts are there, including the oil tank and battery bracket. The reason he didn't install it was the part that he called the "cam cover". I'm not sure if that's the right nomenclature or not. It is the metal piece that houses the alternator and points. He was going to notch that piece out while it was on the bike so the starter could fit. I prefer to purchase this piece specifically for a bike with electric start. 2 questions: How difficult is it to remove and replace this piece and what years did the ironhead come with an electric start? Also, has anyone done this conversion and can you give me some hints / pictures on how you handled the ignition and starter tie in (starter button or starter engaged with the key?)?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Erich

Erich

 

So ,what your saying is that you have the XLCH kickstart only model and you want to add the electrics. You need the correct sprocket cover , and the cam cover.What you also need to check for is the ring gear on the clutch hub, it may already be there.Not a hard conversion but you will need a manual.
there was no alternator for the bike , only the generator.
The quick version of the wiring:ign.on supplies power to the button, the button supplies power to the slave solenoid, the slave solenoid supplies the power to the main solenoid.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...r/IMG_1055.jpg

 

Replacing the cam cover [tech correct name is gearcase cover] is not a trivial change. It is not just a cover. The procedure to remove it, while not difficult, does require first the removal of the pushrods. Many newcomers to ironhead overlook this important step. Also, a replacement cover must be "line bored" with the right case half. This requires either having another right case half or completely dismantling the engine and separating the case halves.

It may be that you do not need to replace the gearcase cover to install the electric start kit. I think you do need to replace the sprocket cover and this is a straight forward task. It is this cover that must either be replaced or notched.

The gearcase cover houses the points, the cam gears, the pinion gear, and the end of the generator.

 

Yep, Mick hit the nail on the head!
Replacing the cam cover is not a simple or cheap project.
The cover holds the outboard ends of 4 cams, the crankshaft end where the piniongear sits, an idler gear, and the generator gear.
All of the holes in the cover have a bronze bushing for a bearing.
When the engine was built at the factory, the holes in the timing cover and the holes in the crankcase rightside half were line reamed with a special reamer so that the holes will line up and hold all of those parts without binding.
Let's say you have the bronze bushings worn out in the cam cover and wanted to replace them with new ones.
OK, that can be done. What you have to do however is press out the old bushings, press in the new bushings, take the engine entirely apart so that you can line ream the bushings........ Opps! Got a problem here.
Where you going to find those reamers? Forget about it.

If you want to install the electric starter then your best bet is work with the cam cover that came on the bike. Do the cut out for the starter being as careful as you can.
You have to also:
Get a side mount oil tank.
Get a mount for the big battery.
Get a big battery.
Get a ring gear on your clutch hub inside the primary.
On a 1971, most likely you will have to drill and tap a hole in the top of the transmission case where you see that flat boss. Good luck with that one! I have seen it done and it was not fun. This hole is needed to clamp the starter in place.
Of course you will need the Bendix housing and all of the hardware inside it to connect the starter motor to the clutch hub.
Get a starter, get a solenoid, get a push button for the starter, get some wire, starter relay, yada-yada-yada.
Whew! That's a lot of work just to describe what you face with this project.
Myself, I would never do this! Give ma a kick starter anytime.......... pg

 

I agree all this, these guys do know what they are writing.

 

Thank you for all the input. My first inclination was to just use the kick start. However, since I have a good starter that came with the bike, I thought I would explore the conversion. I'm all for the kickstart but everyone at work has a story of a broken leg or ankle caused by kickstarting. My plan is to do a cafe racer style sportster and in my mind, a kickstart is more authentic than an electric start. Next on my list is a front disc brake conversion.

Thanks for all the help!

Erich

 

Take the starter and Ebay the thing. Use the money toward the disc brake set up.

The old stories of people breaking legs, being thrown over the handlebars by kickstarting a Sportster and all that garbage are just that...... garbage.

Sportsters have one problem with the kickstart, and that is the fact (and this is fact) that the kickstart gears can fail to engage. When you jump up on the kickstart lever you expect resistance from the compression of the engine.

If those gears are not engaged, the lever falls through it's range of motion freely. You cannot stop it in time, and at worse, you will have a hyper-extended knee and not be riding anything for months after this happens.

I've done it a number of times in my 50+ years association with a Sportster. Other members here have like tales to tell.

The worst time for the gears not to engage is in the winter when it is cold. The oil is thick and prevents the cold gears from getting to where they need to be. So always be carefull in cold weather.

If you press down on the start lever, it will drop down some before you feel the engine compression. Then you let the lever come back up to the top so you can get a full kick. This is the moment the gears can slip out of engagement!

A very safe practice is to let the lever come back to the top. Then get yourself situated and ready to kick, but before doing so, press down on the lever to feel resistance. Keep this pressure on the lever and then kick it through.

Me being a small guy, I still to this day do all that, then at the last second I jump up in the air to get a full kick, taking pressure off that lever for a millisecond........ That is where the gear is going to disengage and if it does.......... the Sportster has me for lunch.

This is the reason for all of those stories about a Sportster breaking your leg. It will not break a leg, but it can send you to the hospital if you do not be careful.
Sorry about the long post, I just wanted to let you know about a Sportster's kickstart drawback................ pg

 

Or you can start it like we did when I was younger, Bump start it....

 

Yep, that is the way I used to do it...